


Dragons Are Not Kind.

by orphan_account



Series: A Rather Different Journey [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Could be Reincarnation, Gen, Not A Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-30
Updated: 2013-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-13 11:46:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/823953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dragons are not Kind. Dragons are Cruel. So why should any Dwarf not give as good as he would get when faced with a dragon?</p>
<p>No, Thorin can't think of a reason either.</p>
<p>Part 2 of A Rather Different Journey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dragons Are Not Kind.

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is not (necessarily) connected to the first piece in this series. (You'll understand later.)
> 
> Also, Thorin gets kind of feels-y towards the end. Prepare yourselves. You've been warned. 
> 
> This could qualify as Bagginshield if you want to read it that way. (I have a habit of writing like this. You'll notice a pattern if you stick with me long enough.)

Dragons are not Kind. Dragons are not Merciful.

Dragons are Vicious. Dragons are Cruel.

Yet Thorin couldn't fathom why he looked at this one with only a mild curiosity, instead of anger or revulsion. It was merely a hatchling, with soft-looking scales that were closer to chestnuts than blood in color, and big eyes that hadn’t yet settled on a hue. The King Under the Mountain couldn’t think of a single reason to not kill the creature where it lay, curled up in a nook they’d found they could enclose it in until they decided what to do with it. None of them could. Thirteen Dwarves who had taken back the Mountain, and not one idea came forth.

Thorin couldn’t help but think that Bilbo would have thought of something. There was a reason they’d let him come along as their Burglar, even after his rough start. Of course, Thorin also thought he knew what Bilbo’s solution would be; the whole Company knew what Bilbo would say, but no one was quite brave enough to bring up the hobbit.

_Enough of that._

They’d found the hatchling under one of the smaller hills of gold Smaug had been keeping. Under normal circumstances, they would have paid it no mind until they started searching for the Arkenstone. However, the Arkenstone had been found, ( _I said enough of that!_ ) and this particular fortune had still caught their collective eye after the Battle of Five Armies. (Not even a week later, and people had already given the Battle a name!) One reason it was so intriguing was that it had been directly to the right of Smaug’s nose, almost like a misplaced pillow. The other reason, which explained the first, was that it had been hot. Really, truly hot, not merely warm from the drake’s body and breath.

An hour or two of digging through it had told them why.

Smaug had been hiding an egg, keeping it warm under the heated gold. When they had finally gotten to it, they had marveled at its gemstone-like surface, unsure what to think of it.

It hatched soon after, and it was clear that Smaug had at least cared about one thing other than treasure.

What that meant about Smaug, exactly, wasn’t something Thorin cared to think about. _Moving on._

“Thorin?” That was Fíli, which meant Kíli couldn’t be far behind. _And I’m sure I know what this is about, if they’ve come here._

Thorin turned to see his sister-sons in the doorway. “Fíli. Kíli. What brings you here?”

The two glanced at each other, nonverbally trying to decide who would speak first. With news like this, it was hard to tell who he’d prefer to hear it from. Fíli was due to inherit the throne and was better at diplomacy, but Kíli had no such obligations at this point and could speak a little more freely. Freedom of words must have won out, because it wasn’t long before Kíli spoke up. “We know what should be done with the dragon. Or,” he amended, “we know what we would like to see done with the dragon.”

Thorin arched one eyebrow. _Of course that’s where this was going._ “Who is 'we'? Yourselves? Or a larger party?”

Another glance passed between them. “We’ve been talking with the Company. Everyone you brought to Erebor has had a hand in making this decision.” Fíli spoke this time, either appealing to Thorin as his heir, or continuing the (occasionally odd) pattern they had of carrying on one end of a conversation with two mouths. A third, fleeting glance at his brother. “Almost everyone.”

_Tell me they aren’t bringing **this** up, not now of all times._

Thorin hated to snap at them, but the pebble of guilt it would cause him didn't stop him from all but growling, "Get to your point, boys." _Boys_ was a blow, too. Thorin knew they'd been through enough to lose that particular label, every bit as well as they knew it themselves. "I- I'm sorry. I did not mean that. Go on, tell me what the Company has decided."

"We want to keep the dragon, Thorin."

Thorin felt the air vanish from the room. (Or maybe just his own lungs.) He'd seen this coming, ( _How could I not?_ ) but that still hadn't prepared him to hear it out loud. He tried to speak without choking, but could only open and close his mouth. “Fíli...Kíli....” Thorin mentally shook himself. “You know what dragons can do. You’re too young to know the horror of a dragon attack, but let me assure you it’s nothing to invite.”

The two younger dwarves noticed his melancholic tone, and immediately latched onto it, trying to make it go away. “But Thorin,” Kíli rambled on very quickly, “a dragon would help! You can’t tell us that a dragon wouldn’t be helpful as a guard or a protector. And it would be dwarf-trained!”

“Not really a threat at all,” Fíli continued.

“Besides--”

“--it’s even--”

“--got a name!”

Thorin was dumbstruck. “I haven’t even said you can keep it.”

“You will when you hear what it’s named.” An identical grin stretched over both of Dís’ sons’ faces. Thorin arched an eyebrow.

“We’ve called him Bilbo.” Fíli and Kíli ran, leaving their uncle spluttering in their wake.

_Mahal help me._

 

“Balin,” Thorin called, wandering around various halls looking for his old friend. “Balin!” A few more turns put him face-to-face with Dwalin instead. _Even better. Surely Dwalin cannot have been part of this foolishness._ “Dwalin! Even better. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Sounded more like you were looking for my brother,” grumbled the heavily armed dwarf. “If it’s about running this mountain, you’re looking for him instead.” Dwalin never had been one for formalities. “What did you need?”

Thorin dragged the taller dwarf into an out-of the way nook. “Fíli and Kíli came to me today, to talk about the hatchling.”

Dwalin nodded. “Bilbo. Poor little creature, stuck in a hole in its first few days. What did ya tell ‘em?”

For the second time that day, the King Under the Mountain was struck dumb. “You’re in on this too! What has come over you all? Dwalin, you were there when Smaug came! You and Balin both! You know what happens when you have something a dragon wants. How can you be agreeing to this, you of all people?”

Dwalin had the decency to look shamefaced at least. “It’s just a hatchling, Thorin. It won’t know anything but what we teach it.” His expression turned a hair towards sly. “It’s what the Halfling would have wanted, you know that.”

Something close to a growl worked its way out of Thorin’s chest. “You’ve all got to stop using that against me. Guilt is the worst form of leverage.” Dwalin just looked at him. “That’s not the point,” Thorin muttered.

“Look, Thorin,” Dwalin cut in. “Let the lads keep the dragon. The whole Company has promised to help raise it. All we’re missing is your go-ahead.”

_Damn him._ “Fine,” he conceded. “Keep the blasted dragon. Name it what you will. Just don’t expect me to be singing its praises.” The King stormed out.

 

Had anyone been looking a few hours later, they would have found Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain and ruler of Erebor, kneeling by a patch of churned-up earth at the dragon’s doorstep.

“I wish I could blame you,” he growled at the ground, “but you’d have done the same thing. Though I doubt you’d have named it after yourself.” A tiny chuckle found its way past his lips.

“Damn you, Burglar! You had to get in the way, didn’t you? You couldn’t leave well enough alone, even after I banished you. You and your magic ring. Too noble for your own good.” _Obviously._ “You should have gotten out while you had the chance, left us to our own fates. Fíli would have made a fine King Under the Mountain.” _But would he have survived? Would he and Kíli have survived the Battle of Five Armies if Bilbo hadn’t kept us all safe?_

“Erebor has a dragon now. It’s just a hatchling, but they’ve named it after you.” _I said that already._ “It’s an improvement over Smaug, anyway.” A humorless laugh. “I am sorry we didn’t send you home to the Shire. None of us could seem to let you go.”

Thorin spoke to Bilbo’s grave for the better part of the night, if only to give him something to do. When he ran out of words, he simply sat by the grave, knees up and back to the sealed door. It was dawn before he moved, and then it was to check in with another Bilbo. He let himself past the barricade fencing the hatchling into its enclosure.

“Hello.” _Am I really talking to a dragon?_ “I suppose they’re calling you Bilbo, now. I’m surprised they haven’t found you somewhere else to live.” The dragon had been asleep when Thorin had come in; now it opened its eyes, yawned, and looked up at him.

The air was gone again.

The dragon was staring at him with a very familiar shade of brown.

"Fine." Thorin's voice was little more than a whisper. "Fine, I understand. Welcome to Erebor, Bilbo. Welcome to Erebor on its way to being restored." He glanced back down at the hatchling and put a hand on its head. "I am glad you're here to see this."

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't clear, out-of-context italics are Thorin's thoughts, in first-person. The point-of-view in this one is a little strange, but overall I'm pleased with how it came out.
> 
> Uh...right, I didn't intend this as female!Smaug, but if that's how you saw it, I won't stop you. (To be honest, I'm not sure how I intended Smaug to come across.)
> 
> And yes, I killed Bilbo off in place of the Durins and may have actually reincarnated his as a baby dragon. Please don't throw vegetables at me. "I don't like green food."
> 
> Drop me a comment, I love hearing from you!


End file.
